This invention relates to a method and apparatus for honing or grinding the inner cylinder wall of an elongate cylinder, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for honing or grinding the inner cylinder wall of an elongate, horizontally-oriented cylinder to approximate a perfect cylindrical shape.
Large long cylinders of a type used in the paper industry are customarily supported by a crowned beam extending therethrough, the inner cylinder wall resting upon the crown of the beam. When the cylinder is rotated, an oil injection system permits the cylinder to be rotatably supported by the crowned beam by maintaining a film of oil between the crown of the support beam and the inner cylinder wall. Despite the oil film, in time the inner cylinder wall and the crown become worn or scored and the inner cylinder wall may develop irregularities or become out-of-round. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically regrind the crown of the supporting beam and refinish the inner cylinder wall to ensure that it is smooth, even, and substantially perfectly cylindrical. The present invention provides a honing device capable of refinishing the inner cylinder wall of such a large, horizontally-oriented cylinder.
Applicant is aware of a number of prior honing devices. Most of these devices such as Gutenson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,429,135, Harrell, U.S. Pat. No. 1,729,288, Bogey, U.S. Pat. No. 1,088,872, Baldwin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,546,490 and Perry, U.S. Pat. No. 2,302,141 pertain to devices for honing relatively short, vertically-oriented cylinders such as the combustion cylinders of internal combustion engines, or, in the case of Perry, distributor body housings. Applicant is also aware of several devices for honing horizontally oriented cylinders such as Held, U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,548, Wilger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,395, and Pettyjohn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,526.
While many of the devices identified above are adjustable to fit the inner diameter of a cylinder, only one, Baldwin et al. discloses resiliently biasing the honing device against the cylinder wall. However, it should be noted that the Baldwin et al. device is self-centering, that is the biasing is accomplished by applying a reactive counter force against the diametrically opposed cylinder wall. Such self-centering honing devices tend to reproduce the circumferential shape of the cylinder wall including any irregularities in that circumferential shape.